Urban middle class may offer lifeline to rural AfricaThe rise of an urban middle class across much of Africa is stoking demand for food that could curb hunger and cut poverty in rural outposts, a U.S.-based think tank said on Wednesday. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) said rural communities were in “a state of crisis”, with high poverty rates and poor services driving hunger and malnutrition. In Africa, a growing middle class with higher purchasing power is fuelling a spike in demand for food - and with an interesting twist, said Ousmane Badiane, IFPRI Africa director. There should also be an investment in rural areas and access to energy and telecommunications, he added. Nearly half the world’s population live in rural areas but represent 70 percent of the extremely poor, according to IFPRI.

Source: Standard Digital March 30, 2019 08:29 UTC